The 19-year-old man killed in a drive-by outside his Brooklyn home was a “complete innocent” who was a victim of mistaken identity, police said Thursday.
Christian Montrose was exiting his car outside his Canarsie home on E. 104th St. near Avenue K about 2:40 a.m. Tuesday when someone in a black Acura pulled alongside, called him over and shot him.
“This is probably mistaken identity,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. “This is a good kid. We spoke to everybody. He’s not in a gang, no drugs and he doesn’t even drink alcohol.”
“He’s basically a good kid that unfortunately resides in an area where there is significant gang violence,” Kenny added.
Cops are trying to track down the shooter and the black Acura, which was reported stolen from the Bronx.
Detectives believe the gunman followed the victim home or was circling the block looking for his target before mistaking his prey for Montrose.
“It looks like he saw the poor kid and shot him,” Kenny said. “(Montrose is) a complete innocent.”
Surveillance video shows Christian sitting in his parked car when a driver pulls up and opens fire before speeding off. The wounded teen managed to get out and flee a few yards to his family’s house, collapsing just inside.
Montrose was shot three times. One of the bullets hit him in the right side of the face “which knocks some teeth out,” Kenny said. He was also shot in the forearm and the stomach.
“He runs to his apartment, bangs on the door and is met by his brother,” Kenny explained. “(Montrose) tries to talk to his brother but he can’t speak. He’s actually choking on his own blood.”
Medics rushed him to Brookdale University Hospital, where he died. The family has created a GoFundMe to cover funeral expenses.
Montrose’s mother wants the gunman to pay.
“I want revenge,” Amanda Montrose, 52, told the Daily News Tuesday. “I want justice for my son. If my son was a bad son then it would’ve been fine — he lived by the sword, he died by the sword. But he didn’t live by that sword, so he shouldn’t die by that sword.
“I will kill him if I could see him,” she said of the killer. “I just want to know why. I just want to know why. Why would they take my son’s life? Why? Why? If they wanted to shoot him, shoot him and leave him alive. Please somebody tell me this story. I want to know why. I want to know why.”
